Don Matthews rode a Harley Davidson, wore reflective sunglasses and won more Canadian Football League games than any head coach who came before him. He could be abrasive and charming in the same conversation, and he had many of those conversations on the national stage, at Grey Cup week.

He died on Wednesday morning. Matthews was 77.

His statistical legacy is built on granite. Matthews was named the CFL’s coach of the year five times, and he won the Grey Cup just as many times as a head coach. He retired in 2008 as the CFL’s all-time leader in regular season wins (231), and now sits second only to Wally Buono (266).

On-field success, though, was only half of what Matthews brought to the league. His personality could be as big as a stadium marquee, and it was never uncommon for the spotlight to find him, wherever he was standing.